NEW YORK, 19 Aug. (DPA/EP) –
More than a million dollars (about 920,000 euros) in cans of spam, a staple in the kitchen of Hawaii, will be donated to those affected by the Maui wildfires.
Hormel Foods, the brand’s parent company, has announced that it will donate more than 264,000 cans of spam to a faith-based relief organization. According to the company, Hawaiians consume “more than seven million cans of spam products each year, more than any other state in the United States.”
Convoy of Hope, a nonprofit organization whose mission includes helping people affected by natural disasters, has partnered with the popular canned meat company to bring three trucks and additional resources to affected areas.
Spam has also created a specially designed “Spam Loves Maui” T-shirt, and 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to Aloha United Way’s Maui Fire Relief Fund.
“The people of Hawaii hold a special place both in the history and at the heart of the Spam brand,” brand manager Jennesa Kinscher said in a statement. “Our donation efforts are just one way we show the community our love and support.”
So far, at least 111 people have been confirmed dead in the deadliest wildfire in US history in more than a century. The death toll is expected to rise in the coming days, according to Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, who estimated that “there are probably more than 1,000 still” residents missing since last week’s deadly fire.
